PRACTICE: 3.18.09, Islanders Iceworks
Sutton…roster decisions..Mannino…KO USA?
1:10 pm, Iceworks - Some quick notes from practice now, plenty more stories to come over the next few days.
Peter Mannino, Mike Iggulden and Joel Rechlicz are all back in Bridgeport. With both the Islanders and Sound Tigers not playing until Friday night, the team has plenty of time to make roster decisions.
Today’s lines at practice: Tambellini-Nielsen-Okposo, Hilbert-McAmmond-Jackman and Comeau-Bailey-Park. Nate Thompson, healthy, had his own practice jersey color. Considering the Islanders will call up players by Friday, these combos don’t really mean diddly.
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Andy Sutton had his first full team practice. Two weeks ago he told Point Blank he was on his way back and the only question was whether he’d play some NHL games at the end of the season. Now we know the answer. “I’m going to play,” said Sutton. “It’s a matter of when.”
It probably won’t be this weekend, but it could be sometime next week (the NYI play Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). Said Scott Gordon, “If he’s healthy, you want him in there - especially Sutts, who’s been through a lot. It would be great for him to get some action and give him something positive to build on.”
Doug Weight has resumed skating and has a goal of returning for the April games.
If the Islanders get Sutton and Weight back, an added benefit is the roster of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers would be replenished.
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Gordon, candidly and with a smile when asked whether Peter Mannino’s performance in Chicago surprised him: “Yeah.” The coach said he chose to tell the rookie goalie about his first NHL start on the morning of the game. “On one hand you want to give guys time to prepare, but I also didn’t want him to have much time to think about it.”
Gordon said the start was the perfect time to give the kid a shot, plus he was aware Mannino’s mother and father were coming to the game whether he was starting or not. Gordon said he hadn’t made his goalie decisions for Friday (Carolina) and Saturday (Ottawa), but would not rule out a second start for Mannino.
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From the blog that last week brought you “Okposo Joining Bridgeport,” comes “Is Okposo Joining Team USA”? Nothing is official yet. Asked after practice today, Kyle Okposo said he has not been officially contacted by USA Hockey about playing at the upcoming World Championships. Our take: they’re just being respectful of the Islanders and the invitation will come soon.
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Gordon on his first look at the play of center Frans Nielsen. “Before the job interview process started with Garth, I watched and broke down several Islanders games from the end of last season on tape. I knew about Frans a bit from coaching in Providence, but he really stood out for me on the tape - his awareness, playmaking, hockey sense. I told Garth that Frans was a player we could really work with.”
More to come. Revised Comment Guidelines. Prospect talk in next thread.
The great Glenn Tilbrook at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale tonight. You do know Squeeze, right?
40 Responses to “PRACTICE: 3.18.09, Islanders Iceworks
Sutton…roster decisions..Mannino…KO USA?”
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Good stuff. Been a while since we heard anything on Andy. Almost forgot he played here.
Just wondering. Can we have a gameday thread on some of the out of market teams we are competing with for draft position?
Given that there are no games this week at all. Would be some good filler.
Hope they play Mannino as much as possible
KO would be great for Team USA. Looking forward to that.
I’m glad Sutton and Weight will be back. We’ll probably be worse off! woohoo!
CB, I saw Glenn Tilbrook at The Jammy’s last year at MSG. Good stuff!
CB, whose the goalie in the picture?
Yes, I know Squeeze, CB, though can’t make the show. Saw them last year at Radio City and the year before at the Music Fair.
What’s stunning is how many people DON”T know Squeeze.
I’ve been saved!! Why I toiled reading poster’s on Newsday’s blog for so long I don’t know. Great job CB! So, Am I to assume your too “cool for cats” to have “black coffee in bed”. Hockey’s future site highlights Okposo in their on the curve segment for March. And please for the love of Taveres, no Sutton or Weight!
Good to see the Coyotes pull off the upset over the Sharks last night with a very late goal. That Lightning-Isles home game on April 4 is going to be quite the hodgepodge of emotions.
Yea CB, Squeeze is awesome!! I liked them but never saw them live until last August at The Brookhaven Amphitheater with The Smithereens. They ROCK!! He’s a great great guitar player. Never knew he could play like that. Anyone out there who remembers them from the 80’s and thought, “yea they’re OK” you have to go see them if you get the chance!!
Burntx…yeah me too, I found this site about trade deadline time and have since deleted Newday from my favorites list!!!!
I’d like to see Trevor Smith in the Isles’ lineup this weekend.
The World Championships would be a real growth moment for Okposo. Then after they are over can he still come back to Bridgeport if they are still in the playoffs…CB? Very few American NHLers answer the call for their country during the World Championships, but with the the Olympics less than a year away, all countries will be beefer than in the past. Last year the WHC were in Canada so very few turned down the offer. I’m going for Canada obviously but I’ll be cheering for Okposo to do tremendous.
CB,
SQUEEZE <— great band.
Great shows back in the late 80’s.
Enjoy!
I was very happy to see Sutton & Doug on the ice this morning too. Although… how can you miss Andy. He’s a foot taller than everyone else.
Squeeze — Tempted. ;o)
I would be very happy to see corky from “life goes on” in goal the rest of the way. Maybe then we can be assured the best opportunity to draft JOHN TAVARES!!!!
JOHN TAVARES OR BUST !!!!
Yea great about Frans… JT, Bailey, Nielsen. Not a bad 1,2,3 Center combination… Tank tank tank
Squeeze wow saw them in concert at a theme park / camp grounds outside of Buffalo in what 1988?
Good times.
Alex (4)
It’s Mannino with his Denver pads on.
I like that first line combination with Neilson. Guy deserves some first line minutes. Just have a feeling that Frans will sometime exceed expectations. Good player!
Saw Squeeze several times back in the day, once with Jools Holand on keyboards, and a few times with the Mike Sillinger of keyboard players, Paul Carack (who sang lead on two of the three verses of “Tempted”).
While I’m still in the “45 and under” demographic I’d love to see Tilbrook. Thanks to your heads up I’m goig to try to see “The Fluffers” in Falls Church. Thanks.
As far as the Isles are concerned…I missed both weekend games, but caught them on TiVo. Wow. They are getting good goaltending, and they are starting to look like a well oiled machine. A little more finishing power, and some size… hmmm.
I know there’s a little red dot on this, but I really want to buy the cashmere sweater…
I guess we’re not really going to find out if it’s as good as it looks until Elaine tries it on in October… and if she notices we can always give it to the cleaning lady next June.
Shame on you if you have the opportunity to see the Glenn Tilbrook show tonight and you do NOT take advantage of that. You have no idea what you will be missing. Since there’s no game tonight, CB, perhaps you could give us a brief review w/in a post tomorrow.
On another note, in alumni news, Miro Satan played his first game in the minors in almost 14 yrs Monday, and had 1G, 3A for W-B. Doesn’t seem like they need him right now, but wonder if the Pens will call him back up at any point.
And, in Tavheduch news, if you wonder how Tampa could be so bad this year with all of their offense, here’s your answer: new d-man Matt Lashoff is the 20th defenseman to play for them this year. If my math is correct, that’s 9 more than - almost double! - the MASH unit on the Island.
Saw Squeeze w/The Hooters at the Coliseum around 1985. I was 14.
WLIR was great.
Now radio is unlistenable.
Thank God for the iPod
K.O. to play in international comp would be great for his further development.
Mannino deserves another look because he’s earned it after that start in Chicago… but he’s not the answer to the back-up question for next season.
As far as Tavheduch… if Tampa finishes with the 1st pick… I’d be shocked if they didn’t take Hedman… it’s what they need. I’d be worried if they still had Boyle or any puck moving d-man than Tavares would be more realistic, but they have Stamkos, St. Louis and Vinny. In Tampa’s 2008/09 circus, cash problems and they way they treated vet players this year I can’t see any free agent signing there.
Don’t forget that after the trade deadline you have a four call-up limit apart from emergency call-ups.
In Tavheduch news, Tampa lost another defenseman for the rest of the season in Cory Murphy, who was averaging 20+ minutes in recent times.
Yeah Marc from Troy. Tampa is pretty much a lock to draft hedman. Even if they pick first, we will probalby have a shot at Hedman. They already have the firepower. What they lack is defense and a goalie. Seems like the lottery pack is moving further away from us:
Tampa up 5 points
Atlanta, Yotes and the Avs are up 8.
The draft lottery was put in place to prevent teams from tanking on the season. It seems to be working just fine IMO. When you see a team like Phoenix knock off the Sharks last night it reinforces the fact that teams are still playing “respectfully”. Just because the games don’t mean diddly to you this year doesn’t mean that next year or the year after you won’t be relying on a bottom feeder to beat a team your chasing.
One reason I feel it is critical to get a top pick this year is to fill the void of the 2007 draft when we had no 1st or 2nd round picks. Plug a top two in there this year and it fills that void a bit.
Did we ever hear what happened to Kurtis McLean?
witt123 # 27,
Kurtis McLean tried to “bend it like Beckham” and wound up with a lower leg injury prior to the game against the Habs.
witt123 (27)… Not in any detail, we didn’t. Knee injury of some sort, I believe.
CB…?
CB:
Why such skepticism regarding DiBenedetto? I read he had a tendency to be inconsistent and the experts were skeptical about his ability to produce without Stamkos. It seems as if all of that has been proven wrong. Are there concerns about his size or ability in jumping to the next level?
It will be interesting to see if they send Hillen down or sit Pock when Sutton comes back. A Hillen/Sutton pairing is much more appealing than Pock/Sutton.
Just put Pock on Waivers already
Im happy Sutt’s is back and I’m hopeing the Garth keep’s Doug Weight around…The chances of a successful rebuild are greatly increased with a “High character” guy to show the kids how a professional handles themselves on and off the ice…I don’t think I ever seen a nicer and more positive guy especially with the media and fans than Dougie Weight…I think the “positive attitude” along with his play making skills is a huge asset the Isles need…
I hope WEIGHT signs somewhere else next year,SUTTON’S to slow i like what’s going on with our team right now both those players are easily expendable
When Freddy Meyer comes back I wouldnt be surprised if Hillen gets sent down…They are similar type players from what Ive seen…
The Crazy Donkey sucks. Except when CLUTCH plays there.
Yeah I know Squeeze, the question is how many of the current Isles know Squeeze- -God I feel old!!
#34
Sutton is our only big man on “D”. He helps tremendously on the PK and adds toughness. He lost some weight in the offseason and never really got to show what that would add to his game. “easily expendable” is crazy talk, think again. One more year for Weight? It all depends on the draft. I personally think we need more scoring touch then we do play-making centers. But you have to look at the numbers on the PP without Weight; they don’t lie, he is an asset that adds leadership. Up for debate on this one.
i hope okposo goes plays for bridgeport, ahl play-offs much more intense then world championships.
plus him and comeau can work on chemistry. and be leaders that the next younger group can look up to and respect.